Machine for setting pronged beads



Nov. 29, 1949 A. EFFGEN ET AL 2,489,764

MACHINE FOR SETTING PRONGED BEADS Filed March 14, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 29, 1949 E ETAL 2,489,764

MACHINE FOR SETTING" PRONGED BEADS Filed March '14, 1947 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Nov. 29, 1949 [UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Anton Efigen and Hans Effgen, Dedham, Mass.

Application March 14, 1947, Serial No. 734,737

It is a further object of the invention to provide a relatively simple mechanism for this purpose having few parts, is easy to operate, and is reliable in operation.

These and other advantageous features will be apparent to one skilled in the art from the following description of an embodiment of the invention, and from the drawings, of which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a machine embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a section on the line 55 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary View of a portion of the mechanism shown in Figure 1, parts being broken away to show in section;

Figure '7 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showing the moving part in a difierent position of operation and partly broken away to show in section;

Figure 8 is similar to Figure 6 except that moving parts are shown in diiferent positions of operation;

' Figure 9 is a perspective view of the escapement member shown in Figures 5 and 7;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of the lower end portion of the inclined beam shown in Figures 6 and 8;

Figure 11 is a fragmentary sectional view, on a larger scale, of the anvil and driving plunger starting the setting operation on a pronged bead;

Figure 12 is a fragmentary sectional View similar to Figure 11 but showing the completion of the setting operation.

The machine illustrated in Figure 1 includes a horizontal base 26 which may be mounted on a bench or pedestal (not shown) at any convenlent height. Rising from the base is a standard 22 which carries an elevated hopper 24. Within the standard 22 a lifter 26 is vertically slidable, this lilter having an upper edge 28 which is bevelled as indicated in Figure 3 and 4 Claims. (Cl. 1.-3)

which is longitudinally inclined as indicated in Figure 1. The lifter is movable up and down between a lower position in which it is below the bottom of the hopper 2 5 and an upper position in which it is near the top of the hopper. In face to face engagement with one side of the lifter 26 is an inclined beam 3 having on the upper edge thereof 'a rail 32 adapted to support pronged beads, the four prongs of which straddle the, rail. The beam and rail extend not only across the hopper within one end thereof but also outside of the hopper to a setting head hereinafter described. As indicated in Figure 1, the beam 30 and rail 32 are downwardly inclined toward the left, this inclination being opposite to that of the upper edge 23 of the lifter 26 which is inclined downward toward the right. When the lifter 26 is vertically reciprocated, its upper edge elevates a number of pronged beads within the hopper 24 to an altitude higher than the portion of the rail 32 which is within the hopper. The bevel of the upper edge 28 causes the elevated beads to slide off the l fter and on to the rail 32. Some of these beads will fall on the rail in an upright position and will thereupon slldesdown the inclined rail toward the left as in Figure 1. The beads which fall on rail in other positions will tumble back into the lower part of the hopper when the lifter 2t descends to its low position. An adjustable bafiie 33 is mounted in the hopper to hold back most of the contents of the hopper so that only a limited number of beads will be raised by the lifter in any one stroke.

Some kinds of pronged beads will slide readily on the rail 32 when they straddle the same, but there are certain varieties the prongs of which are liable to drag against a side of the rail if they tilt toward one side or another from an upright position. In order to maintain such beads in an upright position so as to insure free sliding, the portion of the rail 32 which is eX- terior to the hopper may be located in the middle of a longitudinal groove 35 in the upper face of that portion of the beam 35} which is exterior to the hopper, this exterior portion being preferably wider than the portion within the hopper, as indicated in Figure 4. The groove 34 may, if desired, be undercut so that the upper portions of its side walls project slightly toward each other so as to engage the sides of the beads straddling the rail 32 so as to maintain such beads upright. A transparent cover 36 is preferably mounted on the top face of the to close the groove and protect it against dust and dirt, a cover of this kind permitting easy inspection of the rail 32 to see that beads on the rail are moving freely.

The beam 38 with its rail 32 extends down from the hopper toward the lower end of a setting head 46 on a bracket or gooseneck 42 rising from the base 20. The setting head 40 is preferably a cylinder within the lower portion of which is adjustably fixed a member 44 terminating at its lower end in a split tubular guide 46. A driving plunger 56 is vertically slidable within the member M and is pressed upward by a compression spring the upper end of which engages against a piston on the upper end of the plunger 50. Below the plunger 58 and in line therewith is a suitable anvil 56 which is mounted on the base and is vertically adjustable. The upper end of this anvil is suitably shaped to cooperate with the plunger 58. In the anvil illustrated in Figures 11 and 12, the upper end is dished as at 58 so that the prongs of the bead which is driven by the plunger 5e are clinched'inward as indicated in Figure 12.

An operating lever SE! is rockably mounted at a point between its ends on a horizontal rock shaft 62 which is journalled in a bearing bracket 64 carried by the gooseneck 32. The shaft 62 may be rocked by any suitable means such as ;a rod (is which is secured thereto and which extends down so as to be operable by the foot of the operator. One end of the lever Bil is operatively connected to the lifter 26 as at 68, the other end of the lever 66 being operatively connected to the plunger by a pivot member 10 carried by a block 12 which bears on the top of the piston Thus when the lever rocks to the left from the position shown in Figure 1, it simultaneously causes the plunger 50 to descend against the pressure of the spring 52 and causes the lifter 2% to move upward so as to carry pronged beads in the hopper above the level of the portion of the rail 32 which is within the hopper. The reverse stroke of the lever 60 simultaneously elevates the plunger 50 at the conclusion of its setting stroke and lowers the lifter 26 to the position shown in Figure 3 so that additional beads may be received on its upper edge 28 from the supply in the hopper '24.

As beads slide down the rail 32 toward the split tubular guide it, they are arrested by a feeding device which operates to feed the beads one by one to the guide 46. This feeding device, as shown in Figures 5, 7 and 9, is in the form of a bellcrank which is pivoted as at 82 to the upper face of the beam 33. The long arm of the bellcrank 853 extends along the beam 30 as indicated in Figure 5, the short arm 84 projecting beyond the edge of the beam and engaging under the rocking lever 69. When the lever 60 rocks to the position shown in Figure 1, the lower edge thereof which bears on the short arm 84 of the bell-crank at as shown in Figure 6, moves this arm so as to rock the bell-crank to the position shown in Figure 5 against the pressure of a restoring spring 86. When the lever 60 isrocked counterclockwise so as to move the plunger 50 down in a setting stroke, the bell-crank is permitted to be swung toward the position shown in Figure '7 by the spring 86. At the end of the long arm of the bellcrank 80 is a lateral projection 99 which extends across and above the lower end of the rail 32. The under face of the extension 50 is channeled in the form of a V, with two converging passages Q2 and 94 separated by a tapering partition member 96. When the extension is in the position shown in Figure 5, the lowermost bead on the rail 32 rests against the side of the partition member 98. When the bell-crank is swung to the position shown in Figure '7, the partition 96 moves clear of the line of beads permitting them to descend as shown in Figure 7 until the lowermost bead engages the wall 98 which is offset from the side of the partition 96 by a distance approximately equal to the width of a bead. When the bell-crank is swung back to the position shown in Figure 5, the partition 96 enters between the two lowermost beads, the lowermost bead being c'ammed by the partition down to the split guide 45, the other beads being held until the next swing of the bell-crank. Within this guide is a carrier liiii which extends across the interior of the split guide and is a virtual continuation of the rail 32 as indicated in Figure 10. The car- 'rier ltd is the free extremity of a carrier arm 32 which is pivoted as at m4 beneath the lower end of the beam to rock about a horizontal axis. A suitable spring E56 is mounted on the beam to press the carrier resiliently to its upper position as indicated in Figures 6 and 10. When,

a bead is fed from the lower end of the rail" to the carrier by a reciprocation of the bellcrank the bead is then centered in the guide 46 immediately beneath the driving plunger 50. When the plunger descends to push the bead down through the tubular guide it and against the top of the anvil 5B, the carrier IEiB is swung against the pressure of the spring Hit downward and to one side of the guide 45 as indicated in Figure 8. Since the carrier arm N32 is mounted directly on the beam 36, the carrier is alwaysin correct alignment with the rail 32 so that when in the process of assembling a machine the guide member 36 is adjusted to its correct position relative to the rail 32, it will then be in its correct position relative to the carrier [90.

As a result of the construction herein described, comparative simplicity of structure is achieved together with dependable operation.

We claim:

1. A mechanism for setting pronged beads'or the like, which comprises a base, an elevated hopper on said base, a bracket on said base, a bead-setting head mounted on said bracket and laterally spaced from said hopper, a driving plunger verticaily slidable in said head, an anvil on said base beneath said plunger, an inclined beam extending from said hopper to the lower end of said head, a guide rail on the upper face of said beam on which said beads may slide in succession from the hopper to the head, a bellcrank rockably mounted on the upper face of said beam having one arm extending along said beam toward said head and provided with cut-off elements movable across said guide rail to feed beads on the rail one by one to said head, said bell-crank having a second arm projecting beyond the side of the beam, an operating lever,

pivotally mounted at a point between its ends on said bracket to rock about a horizontal axis a lifting element in said hopper, means operatively connecting one end of said lever to said lifting element and the other end of said lever to said plunger, said lever being arranged .to engage the second arm of the bell-crank to rock the same when the lever rocked, and means for rocking said lever.

2. A mechanism for setting pronged beads or the like, which comprises a base, an elevated hopper mounted on said base, a bracket mounted on said base, a bead-setting head mounted on said bracket and laterally spaced from said hopper, a driving plunger vertically slidable in said head, an anvil on said base beneath said plunger, a split hollow guide for beads projecting down from said head in alignment with said plunger and anvil, an inclined beam extending from Within said hopper to the lower end of said head, a guide rail on said beam on which beads may slide from the hopper to said hollow guide, a carrier arm pivoted to said beam, said arm having a short rail portion at its free end extending across the interior of said hollow guide and arranged to receive a bead from said guide rail when said carrier arm is in its upper position, spring means pressing said arm toward its upper position, a member rockably mounted on said beam, said member having means to feed the beads on the rail one by one to said hollow guide as the member is rocked, a lever rockably mounted on said bracket and operatively connected to said plunger and member for simultaneous operation thereof, and means for rocking said lever.

3. In a machine having a hopper for pronged beads or the like, a lifter in said hopper and a head with a bead-setting plunger spaced therefrom, an inclined beam extending from said hopper to said head, a rail on said beam on which beads may slide by gravity, a member pivoted on said beam having along arm extending along the beam toward'said head with bead-engaging elements at its free end arranged to feed the beads on the rail one by; one to the head as said member is rocked, said member having a short arm projecting beyond the edge of said beam,

and an operating lever rockably mounted in I Nfimber said machine for simultaneous operation of said lifter and plunger, said lever being located over and in contact with the projecting short arm of said member whereby said member is rocked by rocking movement 01 said lever.

4. In a machine for setting pronged beads or the like, a hopper, a setting head spaced from said hopper, an inclined beam extending from said hopper to said head, a guide rail on said beam on which pronged beads can slide toward said head, a lever rockable about ahorizontal axis between the ends of the lever, means supporting said lever between said hopper and head, a bead-setting plunger in said head actuated by one end of said lever, a bead lifter in said hopper actuated by the other end of said lever, and .a feeding device for beads onsaid beam actuated by an intermediate portion of the lever.

ANTON EFFGEN. HANS EFFGEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 453,176 Kingwill May 26, 1891 477,117 Hay June 14, 1892 628,098 Kempshall July 4, 1899 746,967 Levitt Dec. 15, 1903 1,503,494 Elliott Aug. 5, 1924 2,228,478 Novick Jan. 14, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date 18,109 Great Britain Aug. 21, 1903 

